How design, tenure and reform can unlock extra social and reasonably priced properties
Nigel Booen, director of design, Boyer
Density is inevitable
If we’re to construct new social and reasonably priced the place individuals want them, increased density will not be a alternative however a necessity.
That is already turning into obvious: in 2024 alone, planning functions have been submitted for 64 towers over 20 storeys in London.
And the general public stays cautious. Even in London, the place flats make up nearly all of properties, just one in 5 is presently in a high-rise constructing. If we’re going to ship 1.5 million properties by 2029, that should change: we have to make density not solely acceptable, however enticing – and which means getting the design, planning and coverage proper.
Why condo dwelling has fallen out of favour
Lots of the criticisms of high-density housing are comprehensible.
After the pandemic, the will for house, gardens and privateness grew. Hybrid working calls for house workplaces and a greater work-life steadiness. This makes condo dwelling – particularly poorly designed flats in noisy blocks with no outside house – a tricky promote.
Leasehold problems haven’t helped. Regardless of current reform efforts, prices related to floor rents, service fees and cladding remediation have undermined confidence. In the meantime, commonhold – the federal government’s most well-liked future mannequin for residences – stays largely theoretical, with fewer than 25 such developments in England and Wales and presently little or no assist or understanding amongst mortgage lenders and customers.
Stricter regulation, particularly in relation to constructing security, has cooled appetites. In consequence, many social and reasonably priced condo schemes have stalled, with builders more and more turning again to homes – notably outdoors London and the South East.
Security and planning delays
The Constructing Security Act has added one other layer of complexity. Whereas well-intentioned, the introduction of the Constructing Security Regulator has created a planning bottleneck.
There are additional pressures on the horizon. The brand new Constructing Security Levy (BSL) will impose a further price on residential developments over 18 metres. In the meantime, guidelines requiring second staircases in high-rise buildings have already led to planning revisions and delays and are decreasing the viability of many schemes.
That is slowing in supply comes at a time when housing want is acute. In line with the ONS, simply 153,900 new properties have been in-built 2024 – the bottom determine in years and much in need of what’s required.
For reasonably priced housing suppliers, they exacerbate already tight viability margins.
Designing density that works
There’s a method by way of this – and it begins with design.
Not all density means tower blocks. Among the hottest components of London – Notting Hill or Pimlico for instance – are additionally among the many densest, and but they’re largely low- to mid-rise. Elsewhere, new communities like Poundbury in Dorset, reveal how ‘mild density’, impressed by conventional structure, can ship excessive densities with huge public assist.
Breaking the monotony of so many 20th century housing estates, the place buildings and types are repeated with out considering the environments identification, these new communities comprise walkable, blended use neighbourhoods with quite a lot of housing choices, densities, and public areas countering the unfavorable impacts of city sprawl, a way of identification and neighborhood for a sustainable future.
The concept is gaining political traction. Each Labour and the Conservatives have promoted conventional structure as a approach to cut back opposition and ship extra properties. Georgian-style schemes can attain 40-60 properties per hectare – considerably greater than the everyday 30-35 properties per hectare on greenfield websites – whereas commanding a worth premium.
This has actual relevance for each social and personal sectors. For reasonably priced housing suppliers, it affords a approach to ship increased unit counts with out sacrificing neighborhood or high quality.
Suburban v city density
However context issues. What qualifies as dense within the suburbs might look positively low-rise in metropolis centres. Whereas a four-storey block could also be applicable for suburban infill, central websites – the place land values are increased and demand is acute – require better scale.
Even then, we may be extra inventive. Airspace growth – including flooring to present buildings – affords a largely untapped path to new properties in constrained city areas. Equally, reconfiguring underused business or civic websites for mixed-use, mid-rise growth can unlock capability with out counting on controversial towers.
For reasonably priced housing, partnering with NHS trusts or native authorities to construct properties above well being centres or libraries can yield mutual profit.
Altering hearts and minds
we have to change how individuals really feel about density. Which means not solely higher buildings, but in addition higher streets, companies and communities.
If density is related to poor high quality, nameless towers, then individuals will resist it. But when it delivers enticing, sustainable, well-located properties that reply to how individuals truly wish to stay – whether or not renting or shopping for – then it turns into a part of the answer, not the issue.
In the end we received’t hit the 1.5 million properties goal by way of sprawl alone. Nor ought to we attempt. Increasing into the Inexperienced Belt dangers long-term environmental and financial prices. The reply lies in doing density higher – and doing it within the locations the place individuals already wish to stay.
Achieved properly, dense growth can supply alternative, affordability and high quality of life. We simply want the boldness to construct it.
